Choice tweets about Wanstead, XXII: A bit miserable, perhaps, but…

Starbucks in Wanstead is full to bursting with prams, wags a v noisy children….leave me and my latte in peaceless than a minute ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

Wansteadium Blitz project, 29 October 1940; Hermon Hill, Snaresbrook Station

On this night in 1940, at 12.15am, four people were trapped in a house on Hermon Hill after high explosives were dropped by German planes. The gas main was also broken. A few minutes earlier, at 12.10am, high explosives burst a water main at Snaresbrook Station. Then at 12.21am, a house on Monmouth Drive was demolished by explosives, and at 12.23, the gas main at Southview Drive was broken by more bombs.

Wansteadium Blitz project, 28 October 1940; Sylvan Road, Hollybush Hill, Hermon Hill

On this night in 1940, at 12.43am, German planes dropped high explosives on Sylvan Road, bursting a water main. At 12.20, high explosives were dropped on Hollybush Hill, and at 10.08am an unexploded bomb in large crater which was 4ft deep was dealt with by the bomb disposal squad.

Changes on Wanstead High Street

Wanstead’s  Smarter High Street campaign  – which among other things assesses the visual impact of shopfronts – has got its work cut out this weekend.

Firstly, Wanstead Pharmacy has put behind it its Reginald Perrin days, when a falling letter from its sign spells a different name each day. It’s got a smart new sign at last.

Then, slightly further down the street, what is normally a sign of de-gentrification: the addition of shutters, this time to Robins Pie and Mash shop. But since that shop suffered three firebomb attacks in three days last week, no-one is going to think the owners are over-reacting. Unattractive they may be, but no-one is going to criticise.

And finally the covers are off the new face of Hadley House. Tasteful, sober, but not quite Italian chic. L’infinito – purveyors of fine Italian food and Google Translate signs – is now open for business. As is traditional here, anyone who experiences Wanstead’s new gastronomy is welcome to send a review.